Japan Consumer Confidence September 2016

Japan: Consumer confidence jumps to three-year high in September

October 4, 2016

Consumer sentiment rose from August’s 42.0 to 43.0 in September. The print defied market analysts’ expectations for a decline to 41.5 and represented the highest reading since September 2013. The consumer confidence index measures consumers’ expectations for the next six months on a scale of 0–100, where 100 indicates that all respondents see their living standards improving.

September’s result reflected a broad-based improvement as all the main sub-components of the index gained ground over last month’s reading. Consumers’ perceptions of their job prospects improved the most, followed by their views on their overall livelihood and their willingness to buy durable goods. Consumers’ assessment of their income growth recorded only mild gains in the same month.

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Nominal yen-denominated exports increased 12.2% year-on-year in January, accelerating from December’s 9.3% rise and coming in above market expectations of 9.4% growth.
January’s increase was driven by solid growth in exports of machinery and electrical machinery, followed by exports of chemicals, manufactured goods and transport equipment, all of which accelerated sharply relative to December’s readings.